Private Cataract Surgery Reading

Cataracts can cause gradual changes to your eyesight, from increasing blurriness and glare to greater difficulty reading, driving or seeing clearly in low-light conditions. If these symptoms are beginning to affect your daily life, a private cataract consultation in Reading can help establish whether surgery is the right option for you. At Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic, your consultant ophthalmic surgeon will carry out a comprehensive assessment of your vision and eye health before recommending a personalised treatment plan based on your prescription, lifestyle and the visual outcome you hope to achieve.

To see if private cataract surgery could be a good option for you, book a Free Online Consultation with us.

Cataracts can affect your eyesight in different ways and often become more noticeable over time. You might find that your vision is increasingly hazy, headlights create uncomfortable glare, colours appear faded or you need brighter lighting to read comfortably. Night driving and seeing fine detail can also become more difficult. If you’re experiencing these changes, a cataract assessment in Reading can establish whether cataracts are responsible and whether treatment should be considered.

During private cataract surgery, the natural lens that has become cloudy is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Your surgery is carried out by a consultant ophthalmic surgeon, generally using local anaesthetic and modern microsurgical techniques. The procedure is usually performed on a day-case basis, so most patients can leave the clinic later the same day.

The surgery itself commonly takes approximately 20–30 minutes per eye, although your total time at The Forbury Clinic in Reading will be longer. Your visit includes preparation before surgery and time to recover afterwards before you are discharged. Our clinical team will also talk you through your aftercare, prescribed eye drops and follow-up arrangements before you go home.

There isn’t one cataract lens that is best for every patient. Your consultant will assess your prescription and eye health while also considering how you use your vision in everyday life – from driving and reading to computer work, hobbies and other activities. Depending on your clinical suitability, options at Sapphire Eye Care can include monofocal, multifocal, trifocal and Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) intraocular lenses. Your consultant will explain the advantages and considerations of the appropriate options to help you make an informed choice.

The price of private cataract surgery depends on your individual treatment requirements and the type of intraocular lens selected. Following your consultation and diagnostic testing at our Reading clinic, you’ll receive a personalised treatment recommendation and a clear quotation explaining the costs involved. Further information is also available on our Private Cataract Surgery Costs page.

Potentially. Cataract surgery can reduce reliance on glasses for many patients, particularly where an appropriate premium intraocular lens is selected. Different lenses are designed to meet different visual requirements, and complete independence from spectacles cannot be guaranteed. Your consultant will discuss what you can realistically expect based on your eyesight, eye health and chosen lens.

Sapphire Eye Care provides consultant-led private cataract treatment in Reading at The Forbury Clinic on Craven Road. Patients benefit from personalised treatment planning, advanced diagnostic assessment and access to a broad selection of intraocular lens technologies. Your care is planned around both the clinical needs of your eyes and how you would like to use your vision following surgery.

Yes. Patients attending Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic, 23 Craven Road, Reading can use the free on-site parking, providing a convenient option for those travelling to their cataract consultation or surgery by car.

Yes. You’ll need to arrange for a friend, relative or companion to take you home after your operation because your vision can be temporarily affected following treatment. Before discharge, you’ll be given instructions covering your eye drops, protecting the operated eye, activities to avoid during recovery and your subsequent follow-up care.

Your recovery will be individual to you, and you should not drive until your eyesight meets the required legal standard and you’ve been advised that it is safe to do so. Many patients experience an improvement in their vision within the first few days. Other routine activities can generally be introduced progressively according to the recovery advice provided by your clinical team.

If you live in Reading or the surrounding area, you can usually arrange a private cataract consultation at Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic promptly. Your consultant ophthalmic surgeon will assess your vision and overall eye health, review your prescription and discuss how cataracts are affecting your everyday life. You’ll then be able to explore the appropriate intraocular lens options and receive a personalised recommendation for your treatment.

• After surgery you may experience some pain. Simple paracetamol is usually enough to control this.
• The eyelids will be a bruised and swollen. Bruising will take approximately 2 weeks to settle. Swelling is greatly reduced after 2 weeks but may not completely resolve for several months.
• Some people report not feeling ‘back to normal’ for up to 6 months after surgery.
• Initially it may feel difficult for you to close your eyelids and this will be managed with eye ointments.
• It is important not to have surgery too close to important events, in case you have not fully recovered in time.

• Dermatochalasis is excess of eyelid skin. It can present as an extra fold of skin, which may overhang the upper eyelashes.
• It is caused by the skin loosing its elasticity, usually due to age but is also seen in some medical conditions such as Thyroid related.
• It may be associated with prolapse of orbital fat causing the eyelid to bulge (eye bags). This may occur in the upper or lower eyelid.
• The lower lid may be lax or loose, which may cause it to sag or hang lower than in youth.

• A blepharoplasty is an operation to rejuvenate the eyelids and in some cases can improve vision where excess skin is obscuring it.
• It usually involves removal of excess eyelid skin.
• Depending on an individual, muscle or fat underlying the skin may also be removed, repositioned or tightened surgically.
• The procedure can be carried out in the upper or lower eyelid

Upper eyelid blepharoplasty:

• At the beginning of the operation the amount of skin to be removed will be carefully assessed. Marks will be drawn on the eyelid with a sterile marking pen to assist the surgeon during the procedure.
• The incision is based in the skin crease of the upper lid, which helps to minimise any sign that you have had upper lid surgery.
• After this, local anaesthetic will be injected under the skin of the eyelid and excess skin is then removed.
• Depending on your particular needs, the muscle beneath the skin may be preserved or partially removed.
• If there is fat prolapse, this may be treated with partial fat removal or repositioning.
• Sutures are placed to reform the natural skin crease in the eyelid.
• The skin edges are sutured together with either a continuous suture that is removed one week later or absorbable sutures that will naturally fall out after 2-3 weeks.
• It may be performed alone or in conjunction with other procedures such as lower eyelid surgery, ptosis surgery or brow surgery.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty:

• There are several elements to lower lid blepharoplasty: skin, muscle, fat and eyelid laxity. The procedure will be tailored to your needs.
• Fat prolapse in the lower eyelid gives the appearance of ‘eye bags’. This fat can be excised or repositioned over the orbital rim to create a smoother transition from the eyelid into the cheek.
• Surgery on the prolapsed fat may be done without a skin incision from the inside of the eyelid – transconjunctival or via a skin incision just beneath the eyelashes – transcutaneous.
• The lower eyelid usually needs to be tightened at the time of surgery. Even a small amount of lid laxity can lead to postoperative lower lid retraction or ectropion if not addressed at the time of surgery.
• The orbicularis muscle, which lies directly beneath the skin is often tightened by placing sutures from it to the bony rim of the orbit – ‘orbicularis suspension’.
• Lower eyelid skin is excised in much smaller amounts than in the upper lid. This is to avoid the unwanted side effect following surgery of eyelid retraction.

• Bleeding and bruising.
• Over or under correction of excess skin with the potential for residual bulging after surgery. Under correction does not usually necessitate revision surgery and is relatively common and preferable to over correction. Over correction results from removal of too much eyelid skin and/or fat with a resultant cosmetic sunken appearance to the eyelids after blepharoplasty).
• Asymmetry of the shape of the eyelids.
• Dry eye requiring the use of artificial teardrops temporarily blurred vision, which is usually temporary.
• Weak or limited eyelid blink (occurs due to excessive scarring)
• Weak or limited eyelid closure (especially at night)
• Should the cornea break down, partial closure of the eye with sutures may be necessary to protect it. Further corrective surgery may be necessary.
• Recurrence of excess skin/bag.
• The need for further eyelid surgery in the future.
• Cysts or whiteheads along suture sites.
• Temporary patches of numbness of the eyelids.
• Orbital haemorrhage with a potential for permanent visual loss
• Infection
• Scarring, or persistent eyelid swelling, and other unusual skin changes, especially in patients with thin sensitive skin, are extremely rare complications.

Crow’s feet are not generally improved by blepharoplasty. Smile lines are not improved by blepharoplasty and may change after surgery. In addition to the risks specific to the individual procedure, there are also general risks, such as blood loss, infection, cardiac arrest, airway problems and blood clots, which are associated with any surgical procedure. Local anaesthetic may cause bruising or possible allergic responses. If your operation is to be carried out under general anaesthetic, the anaesthetist will discuss this with you.

• Both eyelid dermatochalasis and eyebrow ptosis may reduce the visual field due to the hooding of skin over the eyelid; surgery can therefore improve visual function and relieve some headaches.
• It also will improve the appearance of the eyes with a fresher more awake look.

If you choose not to have this surgery, the appearance and symptoms caused by the excess skin or fat is not likely to improve and may worsen over time, although this will not have any permanent detrimental effect on your vision or general health.